Usefulness of transabdominal ultrasonography in excluding adnexal disease

Objectives To investigate the final diagnoses and examine the rate of detection of normal ovaries in patients with negative results for adnexa on transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS) using current machines. Methods Of 188 eligible patients who underwent TAUS to assess lower abdominal pain, 158 were subsequently evaluated using other imaging modalities, surgical procedures, follow-up, or questionnaire data. Of these patients, 135 patients with negative results for adnexa on TAUS were included in the investigation of the final diagnoses. The rate of detection of normal ovaries on TAUS was calculated on a per-ovary basis in these patients. Results One hundred thirty-three (98.5 %) and two (1.5 %) patients were finally diagnosed with non-adnexal diseases and adnexitis, respectively. The rate of detection of 270 ovaries in 135 patients was 38.9 %, while that of 148 ovaries in 74 patients between 16 and 45 years of age was 66.2 % and that of 122 ovaries in 61 patients over 45 years of age was 5.7 % ( P